lower back pain

I had ALIF (anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion) done on L5-S1 this past June.  After the recovery period, I began feeling so good.  My doctor was amazed at how fast I was healing.  Fusion is complete and I thought I was on my way.  Unfortunately in December, the back pain started back up.  Shortly after, it subsided and approximately a month ago it came back after I put my rather chunky one year old down on the floor one day.  I spent about a week "resting" it as much as you can with a 3 year old and 1 year old.   However, for the past month it has just gotten a little worse every day.  Today it is killing me and I finally caved in and am going to the doctor on Thursday. 

Just wondering if anyone has had similar experiences.  I was just so excited that the pain was almost completely gone, and now it seems as if it's never left.  Just wondering if maybe physical therapy or a chiropractor might help.  I'm taking 2 norco a day and feel horrible that 10 months post surgery I'm still taking them.  Today I've taken 2 norco and 2 ibuprofren and have gotten absolutely no relief. 

Anyone who has some insight, it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

soreback,

i had almost exactly the same experience.  my pain was in the same area, l4-5, s1.  i had rewached the point where i could only walk shor distances, very painfully, with a walker and was seriously considering a wheel chair.  i talked to my dr (who is as much a friend as a dr) who referred me to a do who specializes in spines.  bottem line, i had a laminectomy in 2002 and was vitrtually pain free for about a year.  then the pain came back and kewpt getting worse.  i went back to the surgio0n who suggested another operration to tske the screws out of the titanium rod holding my spine together.  after this operation i could walk again without a cane for short distances and with a cane if i have to do walmart.  i am also goinf to a pain management dr and am taking 3 percodet/day, 2 flexeril/day, and morphine for breakthrough pain (up to 3/day).

i'm not doing swimmingly, but it beats the devel out of the alternative.  by the way, once you've had back surgery, no chiropracter will touch your back.

hope this helps.

warren